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April 2007 Newsletter
Howdy all. Wow, it’s been January since I last was able to send a "monthly" newsletter out!
I’ve been blessed to have four groups in Egypt/Sinai in this time, have guided three CamelQuests for VisionQuest in Arizona and have actually found time for a trek here at the farm and a little living history reenacting with my camels here in Texas.
We’ll tackle Egypt first, since it’s taken up the better part of two of the last three months. Sit down, get comfortable...
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"Hajj Zayed mat," my friend Saleh said.
"No," was my instinctive response.
"W’alla (By God I swear it)!" Saleh replied. My Arabic is now at the point where I had no problem understanding what Saleh had said and, more importantly, what he had meant. "Mat" is Arabic for dead. It’s a cognate of Spanish’s "matar", to kill, one of many "shared" words between the two languages. "Hajj" is a title conferred upon one who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the five requirements of Islam.
Zayed was the grandfather of numerous children in the village of Wadi Samghi and was one of my favorite people. He and his wife, Mileyha, had taken me in many times over the six years I’ve been traveling to Sinai and, like so many others of his generation, I gravitated toward him seeking knowledge of another time I could never know.
Saleh explained to me that 78-year old Zayed had been out with his family tending to sheep and goats and was engaged in his morning prayers when he died. Tears began to fill my eyes. Saleh said that this was good, that this was right. How better to go than while praying to the very God that gives and takes everything? I couldn’t argue. I also couldn’t speak.
It would be bedtime before I could share this with my wife, Trish, who was only now meeting my Bedouin family for the first time. She’d been unable to follow the conversation, which had been completely in Arabic, but she could tell something had disturbed me. I told her that, for all I knew of Bedouin culture, I simply did not know what I should say to Mileyha once I saw her a few days later.
The stories came flooding out: How Zayed had told me about his time working in a kitchen in a big hotel in Aqaba, Jordan when he was younger. This was where he’d picked up the little English he knew. How Zayed was still working with his livestock, though I’d reminded him only two weeks earlier when I last saw him that he was no longer 19 and that there were plenty of kids around who could help. "Ilhumdulillah," was all he said to this admonishment, meaning, "Thanks be to God." He had his health and could still work.
I went on to share with Trish that it was at this same time Zayed’s eyeglasses had been broken. He explained that a female camel, "naqa" in Arabic, had kicked him. As I’d left his home that day, I slipped Mileyha some money and told her I hoped it would help cover the cost of her husband’s new glasses. Saleh later told me Zayed had the new glasses on when he died.
But what to say to Mileyha? Bedouin culture and communication is so circumscribed, yet none of my reading or experiences had prepared me for this. I asked Saleh what I should say. He replied, "El begee fahayatak." I practiced it over and over to myself. It translates to something like "I’m sorry for your loss," but knowing Bedouin culture, it surely must say so much more. I screwed it up, I’m sure, but Mileyha knew that I knew.
Zayed’s picture is on my website’s homepage, with a few words about what he meant to me. Please take the time to look at it and keep his family in your prayers.
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The news of Zayed’s passing actually came halfway through all of the Egypt work I’ve been blessed with since January. There are plenty of great stories from each group and I’ll share a few with you here.
In late January, the Sinai Seven, as they’ve come to be known, assembled in Cairo. Karen, Sally, Susan, Sandy, Laura, Barbara and Dale constituted the largest group I’ve had so far in Egypt/Sinai and were an absolute delight to spend time with. Each was unique in his/her own way, but memories that stand out include Susan’s photographic penchant (numbering over 3,000), Sally’s need for coffee and Karen’s love for all things camel!
The entire group was completely taken by my Bedouin family in Sinai, and many tears flowed when, after days spent riding camels, we had to say goodbye to them, before heading back to Cairo. Good news, though, was in the air. Soliman, the oldest son of my friend Saleh, was to get married in the next month or so. All of the Sinai Seven agreed that they would pool resources and send me back with a significant wedding gift for the new groom and his bride-to-be, Fatima. Over $500 was collected and I was happy to deliver it to the new couple at the wedding my wife and I were lucky enough to visit (more on that later). Soliman would take about half of that money and buy a refrigerator, the first in his "neighborhood"! To say that both my guests and the Bedouin made an impact on one another would be an understatement. What an honor it was to bring all of these fine folks together.
Back in Cairo, in the home of my friend Adel, we celebrated my 39th birthday. There was much music, provided by Dale, a flautist, and anyone who could bang a drum or sing! Dale had swung a deal on a Bedouin flute while we were out in Sinai and was still working on the technique singular to that particular instrument, but did happen to have another with him that he’d brought from home. Adel’s family and all of the Sinai Seven formed a conga line and wound through the home’s halls and up and down the home’s multiple stories. Susan, of course, caught it all on video.
Adel’s 17-year old son, a baker in training, even put together a beautiful cake for the party. Shukran jazeelan (thank you very much), Mohamed!
Said Laura, of Alabama, "Thank you for a life-enhancing, unique and love-filled journey!"
"Thank you so much for going the extra mile. You made each of us feel special and important," wrote Sandy, also from Alabama.
Sally, from California said, "Through this trip you’ve provided me memories for a lifetime."
"Thank you for this truly awesome experience," wrote Karen, also from California.
Susan, from Alabama said, "My life will never ever be the same again."
"Thank you for this tremendous opportunity. I will always cherish it and all of the people I met on this journey," said Barbara, of Maryland.
And finally, Dale, also of Maryland, said, "I will always remember this great adventure. Thank you so much for making it happen."
To the Sinai Seven, thanks so much for the time together and for all the kind words. Your trip exemplified the reason I love doing what I do. Bringing wonderful folks together is the best job in the world.
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Gary and I sat seemingly helpless. On the walls and in the windows of the small building were neon phrases in Arabic I simply could not make out. Maybe they exalted the omnipotence of Allah, maybe they extolled the virtues to be found within the small building, but looking at them in mirrors, the right to left script was now left to right and made even less sense. What twists of fate brought us here, this night, with two young Muslims standing over us, straight razors in hand? Perhaps they were only doing as their fathers and their fathers had done before them. I’d even brought Gary’s 13-year old son, Isaac, into this. He sat just on the other side of his father, also with his hands obscured, helpless, beneath the cloth bound securely at his neck, just like the two of us. The three of us sat in a perfect line. I questioned the sanity of the situation, but, in the end, it was the best $6.50 haircut and shave I’ve ever gotten. I think Gary and Isaac would agree.
On the heels of the Sinai Seven, it was my pleasure to host a family of four from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Gary, Mary Jo, Isaac and Marcella were the first family with younger children I’ve ever worked with in Egypt/Sinai and having the two kids (aged 13 and 10) really brought a new dimension to the travel.
The trip was the family’s present to Gary for his 50th birthday. He’d wanted to spend a week with a Bedouin family and he selected me to be the "conduit". Luckily, Saleh’s own young children were out of school, on holiday, during the time we’d be with them in the Sinai, so this promised lots of "kid time" for Isaac and Marcella. 13-year old Hamet and his 11-year old cousin Auda made perfect Bedouin playmates for the American kids, who breached any language barriers with drawing games, pantomime and all manner of gestures. What a beautiful time it was to see these kids playing together.
The original plan called for a week among the Bedouin, but by day five, Gary said, referring to his family, "I’ve punished them enough!" and it was decided to push on into the town of Nuweiba on the Red Sea. Habiba Beach Resort, where we stayed, is situated directly on the beach, and the family was able to relax, with a view of the mountains in Jordan and Saudi Arabia less than 40 miles across the Gulf of Aqaba.
Gary and family stayed in Egypt for another couple of weeks and headed up the Nile to visit the Valley of the Kings and I headed home to the US for two weeks.
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The beginning of March brought me right back to Egypt, but this time with my beautiful wife, Trish. This would be her first time in Egypt and I was fortunate to have another wonderful family of four, this one from North Carolina, to work with. Tom, Robin, son Tom, Jr., 23 and daughter Arrington, 20, were perfect travel partners. The conversation was diverse (thanks for the history lessons, Tom!) and I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much.
Tom, Sr. is an orthopedic surgeon from Charlotte. Little did we know he’d get to ply his craft while on vacation. Son Tom, coming out of the Great Pyramid, ripped open the palm of his hand on a nail in the wooden handrail that descends on either side of the tunnel inside the tremendous structure. Whisked away on camels to our waiting taxi, the decision was made to try and search area pharmacies and find the necessary items that would allow the father to stitch up young Tom’s hand. After two unsuccessful attempts, the two Toms became determined to find a hospital. Young Tom, however, remained steadfast that only his father would be allowed to perform the minor surgery.
My buddy Adel, with whom we’d been staying in Cairo, really came through. He found the aptly named Sphinx Hospital and after only ten minutes inside, our ER: Cairo team emerged with Tom’s hand sewn up. Adel passed along to the physician on duty that Tom was a doctor from America and the local staff was more than happy to let the father/son team use one of their available rooms! The bill? $20 for supplies. Ain’t healthcare in Egypt great!?
Two weeks later, when I was back in Cairo with my final group, I went back into the Pyramid, with a flashlight and pocket pliers, found the offending nail, pulled it and as soon as I returned home to the US I mailed it to Tom as a souvenir.
While out in Sinai, Tom’s younger sister, Arrington, was a magnet for children. Everywhere we went, she’d sit, small children would land in her lap and prying them loose took some real effort. Later in the trip, at the wedding of my pal Soliman, Arrington’s ability to make friends so easily landed her in the bride’s wedding dress, in full makeup, taking photos arm in arm with the groom. To say she and her mother, Robin, looked concerned doesn’t begin to explain their faces’ expressions! Only after numerous reassurances did I convince them that Arrington had not been made wife number two.
The wedding itself had actually been going on for a couple of days when we arrived, on the third and final day. We were treated to multiple camel races, over two dozen goats being barbecued for the nearly 500 guests and spontaneous outbursts of music and dance. The culmination seemed to be after dark when a group of young, eligible Bedouin men and women began dancing. Taking turns, Bedouin girls would put on a special black, velvet cloak and dance within a circle, made by the surrounding Bedouin bachelors. Dr. Tom and I took our places in the circle, visibly older and less available than any of the others in the circle, but nobody seemed to mind.
The courtship songs were beautiful and everyone seemed to know the words. Seeing this part of the Bedouin culture and knowing that the young folks weren’t letting it die, even in the face of wide-spread technology like cell phones and MP-3 players, was heartening.
Throughout all aspects of the wedding was the high-pitched trill or "zagruta" common to the Bedouin women. Zagruta, too, has a Spanish cognate- "grito" or, scream. In Mexican music a spontaneous "yelp" or "howl" is known as "grito" and you should hear my wife, Trish, do her best Bedouin zagruta!
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One final Sinai note: The aforementioned Soliman, newly married, is deaf or "at-rash" in Arabic. Some of you may recall my wanting to document the "homegrown" sign language of the Muzeina tribe, to which he belongs. I’m happy to say that I was able to capture on video over six dozen signs for words and their English/Arabic translations. If any of you know any linguists out there who might be interested in documenting this isolated language, I’d be happy to share the videos. Big thanks, also, to Soliman for sitting so patiently through the lengthy, laborious process.
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Finally home for good, or at least Stateside, I spent the first 10 days of April in Arizona working for VisionQuest (www.vq.com). I ended up taking a group of girls from VQ’s Madalyn program camping on a trail ride with camels. A couple of the young ladies I’d taken out before, but the majority of the group was new to the experience. Standouts included Clarissa and Alejandra, two teens who were quite out of their element, but who both did very well. Alejandra particularly had a trying time with her camel, but really showed some tenacity and wouldn’t quit when her camel was less than compliant.
I also had the pleasure to spend a few hours each day with Aaron and Jesus, two young men at VQ, who have been helping me train a young camel named Jericho. Their patience and gentle nature have been indispensable as we continue the schooling of this sweet 7-year old camel.
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April 13/14 I was in Uvalde, Texas for Ft. Inge’s Living History Days with camels Gobi and Richard and donkey Hamar. On Friday we saw nearly 500 area school students and got to share their local history with them. It was 150 years ago that the Beale expedition passed through this area with camels on their way to California and for many of these kids this may be the only chance they ever have to see a camel. To get to connect them, first hand, with their town’s history is always fun. Big thanks to companeros Gil Hernandez and Frank Gonzales for their assistance at the event.
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On the 15/16 of April, I guided a short, overnight trek here at the farm for Peggy H. of Florida. Along for the ride was Kelton Morgan (www.keltonmorgan.com), a freelance photographer shooting for an upcoming issue of US Airways’ in-flight magazine, and LaRun L., of nearby Waco, Texas. LaRun was asked to come along as interpreter, for the benefit of Peggy, who’s hearing-impaired. This certainly added an interesting dynamic to the trip, but it didn’t take long before we all figured out the most efficient ways to communicate and the trip was a real blast. Thanks not only to LaRun for her prescribed job duties, but also for her great hand as a camel wrangler (you, too, Kelton!).
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Finally, somewhere in my travels over the last 15-49 days, I’ve contracted Hepatitis A. This incubation period places the likely point of origin as Egypt, Arizona, Mexico, Amsterdam, the Detroit airport or Texas- all places I’ve been in this time frame. Fecal/oral transmission is the most common way for this to happen, so the doctor says, and I reckon someone, somewhere didn’t wash his/her hands thoroughly before handling food that I, thusly, ate. Lucky me.
Suffice it so say that my eyes are yellow, my skin is yellow, other things that should not be yellow are also yellow and I had to cancel this weekend’s education programs in Harlingen, Texas. However, this has allowed me to sit down and put this newsletter together, for which, I’m quite grateful. The time I got to spend with all my wonderful guests in Egypt/Sinai was a real blessing and much needed inspiration to continue the work that I do. I’m now back to sorting photos, which should soon be up on the Sinai page of my website.
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May’s a bit up in the air in my jaundiced state, but I do have an engagement, on the 11th in Granbury, Texas, for a day of education programs and another on the 26th in Whitney, Texas. The doctor thinks I’ll be better in a couple of weeks and I am feeling stronger each day, so perhaps a gradual reentry to the workforce is best right now.
‘Til then, thanks as always for your continued interest in my camels.
Doug
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